Sheet metal feed device



April 24, 1951 F. v. CARROLL 2,549,772

SHEET METAL FEED DEVICE Filed June 18, 1945 l "Willi l I'hlmlllll lPatented Apr. 24,Y 1951 SHEET METAL FEED DEVICE Frank V. Carroll,

signor to 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a sheet metal feed device, and moreparticularly to a very simple and eiective means for feeding tin platesand the like to a stacker so that alternate sheets will have their listedges at opposite sides of the pile.

As is well known, any metal sheet which has been coated with a hotdipped metal, such as tin, acquires a thickening at the list or dripedge thereof due to an accumulation of metal at that edge as the sheetis lifted from the molten metal bath. This thickness is such that if themetal is stacked with the list edges of the sheets all at one side ofthe stack be very much thicker than the other.

Munster-Hammond, Ind., as- Inland Ste el Company, Chicago, Ill., acorporation of Delaware Application June 18, 1945, Serial No. 600,092

or pile, that side will be In prac-"i tice heretofore the sheets havebeen stacked with j all of the list edges on one'side, after which theyare divided by hand labor, usually a certain numi ber of sheets beingcounted off and turned 180"` in a horizontal plane, after which an equalnumber of the sheets is added without turning so that when the stack iscomplete the edge portions are of even height, with the center of thestack lower than either side. This is an expensive and cumbersomeoperation, and the present invention eliminates all need for it byturning alternate sheets as they emerge from the plating bath.

The invention is illustrated in which,

Fig. 1 is a side a plating bath of the usual type and having applied Vatthe top thereof the feeding device which is the basis for thisinvention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the alternator.

In accordance with the II) are fed seriatim through the bath of moltenmetal` II in any conventional manner. They are then fed upwardly byrolls I2 through the bath of palm oil I3 between the guides I4 and therolls I5. In conventional operation, the sheets at this stage are as thecone I6 onto the slide I1 from which they pass to a conveyor and aredrawn through the bath 4I8 to a conventional stacking apparatus. In thepresent structure, however, the sheets come into contact with onesurface of the alternator which is providedwith two concave cam surfaces2I and 22 which converge in the elongated point 23. This alternator ispivotally mountedl as'on a pin in the cone I6 and may rock from oneposition, shown in Fig. l, to the other, its position being limited bythe pins 26 and 21 which engage the sides of the cone IB at theirrespective limits of position.

Assuming that the the drawings in alternator is in the positionelevation partly in section of invention, the sheets f directed by aguide such shown in solid lines in Fig. 1 a sheet emerging from therolls I5 contacts the surface 2| at a point near the bottom thereof. Asthe sheet rises it rocks the alternator toward the position shown indotted lines. As it does so the sheet bends toward the right, while thepoint 23 is brought toward or near the back of the sheet. In some casesthe point will actually move the sheet somewhat toward the right. As thesheet rises the weight of metal above the cam surface 2| graduallyincreases and, therefore, changes the curvature of the sheet and thispermits the alternator to gradually reach the position shown in dottedlines as the movement of the sheet to the right frees the point 23 forsuch movement. As the sheet emerges from the rolls I5 it falls upon theslide 30 and then passes under the influence of gravity underneath thealternator and above the next oncoming sheet over onto the slide I1 fromwhich point it pursues the conventional course.

The succeeding sheet nds the alternator in the position indicated indotted lines in Fig. 1 and the process is repeated except that thissheet is directed to the left and falls immediately upon the slide I1.It forces the alternator back to the position shown in solid lines inFig. 1.

It will be observed that the sheets which will fall upon the slide I1will have their list edges toward the right of the drawing, whereas thesheets which fall upon the slide 30 will have their list edges to theleft of the drawing, and this relationship is carried through into thefinal stack.

It has been discovered that the speed of movement of the sheets from theslide 30 is sufliciently rapid that there isr no interference with thenormal and conventional feeding of the sheets from the machine.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a feed device for metal sheets, means for feeding sheets seriatimin an upward path, a first slide directed downwardly from the upwardpath, a second slide directed upwardly from the upward path and sopositioned and arranged that sheets dropping thereon are passed bygravity onto the first slide, and rock means in the path having a camsurface facing each slide and adapted alternately to guide one sheet toone slide and the succeeding sheet to the other slide, said rock meansbeing shaped and positioned so that each sheet contacting one of the camsurfaces thereof deflects the rock means to bring the other cam surfaceto the sheet engaging position.

2. A feed device for metal sheets, comprising, means for feeding sheetsseriatim in an upward path, a slide directed downwardly from one side ofsaid upward path, an upwardly directed slide immediately opposite therst mentioned slide so positioned and arranged that sheets dropping 10thereon are passed by gravity onto the rst slide, and a triangulardirecting alternator pivotally mounted between the two slides, saidalternator being constructed and arranged so that twoadjacent generallyupright sides alternately engage 15 the sheets as they are fed upwardlyin said path and each of said sides being shaped soY that engagement ofan upwardly moving sheet therewith gradually rocks the alternator to aposition with the other of said sides in said path, whereby saidalternator directs succeeding sheets rst to one of said slides and thento the other.

FRANK V. CARROLL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 13,287 v Stiner et al. Aug.29, 1911 772,406v Eckstein Oct. 18, 1904 822,698 Steele June 5, 1906943,264 Niedringhous Dec. 14, 1909 2,278,544 Gaskill et al. Apr. 7, 19422,279,166 Hodil et al Apr. 7, 1942 2,328,949 Bradley Sept. 7, 1943

